The rm utility in uutils coreutils versions before 0.7.0 contains a vulnerability that allows bypassing the --preserve-root safeguard. The safeguard is intended to prevent recursive deletion of the root filesystem by checking the path string rather than verifying device and inode numbers. This flawed check can be circumvented by using a symbolic link pointing to the root directory, enabling recursive deletion of critical system files. This vulnerability is classified under CWE-59 (Link Following). No known exploits are reported in the wild. The advisory is a duplicate and has been withdrawn, with the original advisory GHSA-7cr3-h577-g38j being the authoritative source.

By bypassing the --preserve-root protection, an attacker or user can cause the rm utility to recursively delete the entire root filesystem, leading to severe system disruption and potential data loss. The vulnerability does not affect confidentiality but impacts integrity and availability of the system. No known exploits in the wild have been reported.

Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory GHSA-7cr3-h577-g38j for current remediation guidance. Until a fix is available, avoid using vulnerable versions of uutils coreutils or do not rely solely on the --preserve-root option for root filesystem protection.